Montgomery County MD - Official Covid-19 Testing

 

County Announces COVID-19 Testing Schedule for Upcoming Week

For Immediate Release: Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 

Montgomery County health officials are urging all residents to get tested for COVID-19 and will provide free walk-in and drive-thru COVID-19 testing at multiple sites during the upcoming week.  Testing is important for everyone so that health officials can track the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Some individuals with COVID-19 can be asymptomatic (without symptoms) and spread the disease to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly.

Testing clinics are free, no doctor’s order is required and no appointments are needed.  Residents who are experiencing symptoms should call the Testing Helpline at 240-777-1755 for assistance with scheduling testing, as not all sites accept residents with symptoms. The County’s home-based testing and human services screening is also available for eligible residents. Find more information on the home-based testing and eligibility on the testing website.

The self-administered nasal swab tests provided at the clinics are from CIAN Diagnostic Laboratories in Frederick. These tests are nasal swab molecular tests. Also called a PCR test, this diagnostic test detects genetic material of the COVID-19 virus using a lab technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Find a complete schedule of upcoming clinics at www.MoCoCOVIDTesting.org.

For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website as well as the County’s data dashboard or follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCountyMD

Holy Cross Health offers - Powerful Tools for Caregivers FREE virtual workshops series

Holy Cross Health Virtual class - An evidence-based program designed with the caregiver’s well-

being in mind. 

The Powerful Tools for Caregivers Workshop helps caregivers take better care of themselves while caring for a friend or relative. Whether you provide care for a spouse, partner, parent, or friend at home or in a care facility -- yours is an important role. 

This workshop is designed to help caregivers:
• Reduce stress
• Improve caregiving confidence
• Manage time, set goals, and solve problems
• Better communicate needs
• Make tough decisions
• Locate helpful resources

This FREE seven-week online workshop gives you the tools to better care for your loved one and yourself. There is an additional session included that provides in-depth information about understanding dementia, conditions that impact aging, and available resources. Participants receive The Caregiver Helpbook, which follows the curriculum and provides additional ways to address specific caregiver issues. The workshop is delivered online via WebEx and participants may join with a computer and webcam, or by phone.


Dates: Mondays: November 2 - December 14, 2020 (more classes to follow)
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30pm

Note: Registration is required and the deadline is Friday October 30, 2020

Click here to register

This evidence- based curriculum was developed by Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Portland, OR. The Maryland Department of Aging, Montgomery County Health and Human Services, and Community Health Department of Holy Cross Health are sponsors.

Week-long virtual community engagement, awareness, and empowerment event for women

Join the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Patuxent River Chapter for a week-long community

engagement, awareness, and empowerment event. 

October 12, 2020, through October 17, 2020, running nightly at 7PM EST.

Engage in conversation with our Maryland State Legislators from District 14. 

Participate in awareness sessions on Mental Health, Power of Attorney and Estate Planning, Nutrition, S.T.E.M. Careers for Students, Sickle Cell Disease and Breast Cancer. 

Become empowered with information on Caregiving for the Elderly (segment will air on Thursday, October 15th, starting at 7PM.), the National Council of Negro Women, and resources for our Veterans.

If you have any questions, please contact prccommunityfair@gmail.com 

Click here to register and learn more

About the Top Ladies of Distinction
Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc is a humanitarian organization serving Youth and Adults. Our mission is to embrace and enrich the lives of youth and adults through national and community based programs and projects. Top Ladies have been on the front lines of almost every city and state where chapters are located by being a voice for those who had no voice, and the eyes, hands and mouth of those whom have been overlooked.

The mission of the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.-Patuxent River Chapter is to enhance the lives of residents in the the Greater Laurel, eastern Montgomery County, northern Prince Georges County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County by providing community based programs and outreach to enhance the quality of life for the communities we serve. The chapter consists of women with a long legacy of leadership, community service and advocacy.

Click here to visit the TLOD website

Consumer Financial Protection for Caregivers - virtual event Oct 20

Join experts from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) for a free webinar on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 2-3 pm ET. NAC will share findings from its joint study with AARP on caregiving, including ways financial strain can affect caregivers and older adults. The CFPB will share free resources for financial caregivers of older adults, with an emphasis on tips and tools that can be used during the pandemic to manage someone else’s money. Presenters: Gabriela Prudencio – National Alliance for Caregiving Lisa Weintraub Schifferle – CFPB, Office for Older Americans Kate Kramer – CFPB, Office for Older Americans Webinar Details: October 20, 2020, 2:00pm – 3:00pm Eastern Time Register for the webinar. If you have questions or need additional information, contact olderamericans@cfpb.gov. Thank you, Office for Older Americans Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  About the Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by regularly identifying and addressing outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations; by making rules more effective; by consistently enforcing federal consumer financial law; and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives.  Learn more at consumerfinance.gov.  Connect with us Resources Ask CFPB Bureau blog Submit a complaint

Montgomery County ReOpening - Information and Updates

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19-reopening for Latest Updates October 8, 2020 |   A Message from County Executive Marc Elrich Dear Friends: We are 25 days away from Election Day. If you are planning to vote in person, please know that there are only 40 sites that will be available on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but you can go to any of those sites to vote. There will also be 11 early voting sites from Monday, Oct. 26, through Monday, Nov. 2, as well as on Election Day. More information about locations is available here: Voting Center Locations Your ballot will include various questions. I will be voting for Question A and against Question B.  Question A will help us address a longstanding problem in the way we collect revenue from property taxes. It will focus on the tax rate rather than the total revenues collected. Like our existing system, a unanimous vote of the entire County Council would be required to raise the property tax rate. Question A will allow the County to benefit from economic growth. Everyone agrees that we need to grow the economy, but under our current system, we get no benefits from the growth and we still have to pay the costs that come with that growth.   Our neighbors (and competitors) in the region are focused on the future they want for their communities. They are investing in infrastructure that businesses and residents want and need. Our current system prevents us from addressing our needs in education, affordable housing and transportation. It leaves our residents and our business community with the false perception that we cannot manage our resources when, in fact, our potential resources are severely limited by the existing property tax system, which was enacted 30 years ago. In the intervening years, our school population has grown by 65 percent and overall population by 40 percent. In the last 30 years, we have struggled to meet the needs of our County—from traffic congestion to climate change to greater economic disparity. Over the same time period, the tax rate has declined 35 percent and is the lowest among comparable counties in Maryland.  (See the table below.) Property Tax Rates: Montgomery County vs Comparable MD Counties I will be voting against Question B, which takes away the ability of Councilmembers to adjust the amount of property tax revenues allowed to be collected—even in times of emergency and great need. Question B deprives us of democratic representation. Question B makes the current situation worse. Currently, total property tax revenues raised cannot exceed the amount of revenues raised in the previous year plus the rate of inflation—unless the entire County Council votes to go beyond the rate of inflation. Question B would take away all discretion from the County Council, our elected representatives. And as you probably know from your property tax bills, the current system does NOT limit your property taxes to the rate of inflation. The growth of the total revenue collected for the entire County is limited to inflation. You can read more about the problems with Question B here: www.mdeconomy.org/on-the-ballot-vote-against-montgomery-county-question-b-for-a-strong-future/ Please be sure to vote—you can still request a mail-in ballot (until Oct. 20) and drop it off at one of the many secure drop boxes around the County. You can still register to vote through Oct. 13 and you also will be able to register at early voting sites and on Election Day. However, that may require much more time, so register in advance if you are able. Take care and please continue to MaskUp and maintain physical distance.       Marc Elrich, County Executive   P.S. For the artists among us: Enter the competition for artwork to be featured in the County’s climate action plan. Read more P.P.S. In my video I talk about COVID-19 testing, protecting the public health and Indigenous Peoples’ Day – please have a look!   Watch Video Guidelines for Cool Weather Outdoor Seating at Food Establishments Will Be Featured Topic at Forum for Business Owners on Thursday, Oct. 15 Many Montgomery County establishments that serve food and drinks have made significant adaptions during the COVID-19 health crisis to expand the ways they serve patrons during warm weather months using outdoor seating. The County’s Phase 2 restrictions remain in effect, but the onset of cooler weather will have food service establishments looking for new ways to serve their customers—such as the use of heaters and tents for outdoor seating.   Read More County-Operated COVID-19 Testing Will Expand to 42 Clinics on Upcoming Schedule Montgomery County will significantly expand its COVID-19 testing program over the next eight days as it will hold 42 County-operated clinics. That schedule triples the number of clinics the County has held in its previous busiest weeks. Those clinics will be in addition to more than 45 private providers who are continuing to operate testing clinics.   Read More Child Care Providers and Families Can Apply for Financial Assistance That Will Increase Access to Licensed Full-Day, School-Age Child Care Applications are now being accepted to support school-age child care providers that operate licensed child care programs in public school buildings and help eligible families pay for full-day care during virtual learning. The County Council unanimously approved a $7 million special appropriation last week for an initiative sponsored by Council President Sidney Katz and strongly supported by County Executive Marc Elrich.   Read More County Expands Emergency Assistance Relief Payment Program to Low-Income Residents Montgomery County’s Emergency Assistance Relief Payment (EARP) program is expanding to include financial assistance to more low-income households who do not qualify for other types of Federal and State support.   Read More Voting Update: Avoid Lines and Stay Safe by Voting by Mail Election day—Tuesday, Nov. 3—is less than one month away, and for those who have ordered mail-in ballots (it is not too late to do that), they will arrive soon—if they have not already arrived. In Montgomery County, there will only be about 40 polling places open throughout the County on Election Day (usually there are 255 voting locations). Here is some important election information. Read More County Executive is Holding Series of Virtual FY22 Budget Forums, with Next One TONIGHT, Thursday, Oct. 8 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is holding a series of virtual forums about priorities for the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Operating Budget and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. The next forum will be held starting at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, Oct. 8, and will focus on the operating budget. Each of the forums will be hosted via Microsoft Teams.   Read More Glenmont Forest and Wheaton Hills ‘Green Streets’ Project Awarded $1.5 million in Grants to Improve Water Quality, Manage Stormwater The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has received three grants totaling $1.5 million to construct a “Green Streets Project” in the Silver Spring neighborhoods of Glenmont Forest and Wheaton Hills to improve water quality of local streams and help manage stormwater runoff.   Read More Montgomery County Joins Celebration of October as ‘Energy Action Month’ with Focus on Lowering Energy Use and Costs October is “Energy Action Month” and Montgomery County, through the Montgomery Energy Connection network, will be hosting events in partnership with the County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Montgomery County Recreation, the County’s Department of Health and Human Services and community partners to provide residents with information and opportunities to lower energy costs.   Read More Registration Open for 2020 Montgomery Energy Summit That Will Be Held Virtually Nov. 17-19 Registration is now open for the seventh annual Montgomery County Energy Summit, which will be held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 health pandemic. The Summit is scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday, Nov. 17-19. Sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.   Read More New Deadline on 2020 Census Will Have Self-Response and Field Operations Extended Through Saturday, Oct. 31 The U.S. Census Bureau, after a court ruling last week, will extend its self-response and field operations for the 2020 Census through Saturday, Oct. 31.  All households who have not yet responded are urged to do so online immediately at my2020census.gov/ or via phone at 844-330-2020. There are multiple language options available online and via phone.     Read More For the latest updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.

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